


canto ostinato

by elliewritesthings



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Character, Cat/Human Hybrids, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Gardens & Gardening, Gentleness, Hair Brushing, Huddling For Warmth, Kissing, M/M, Nature, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Touchy-Feely
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-05 00:58:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4159569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elliewritesthings/pseuds/elliewritesthings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"We might need to fix it up a little," he admits, suddenly glad he'd brought along the mostly unused toolbox that had laid in storage ever since he'd received it from his dad on his 20th birthday. "And to mow the lawn, too."</p><p>"Let's not do that last thing," Levi interjects. His tail is leisurely swishing from side to side as he glances along the dirt path that circles around the large raspberry bushes and leads to the front steps. "I like this yard, it's much better than that measly balcony garden of yours."</p><p>(aka pointless fluff of eren and cat!levi enjoying countryside life and being in love~~)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

They arrive just as the midday sun has climbed to its highest point, tall grass giving way under the tires of the old pickup truck until it jerks to a halt. Right as Eren opens the car door and steps out from where he's been sitting behind the wheel for hours, he's hit with silence.

There's the sound of the passenger side door opening, followed by the rustling of grass as Levi trudges through the overgrown foliage to stand next to him. "It's not bad," he says, and coming from Levi, that's quite the compliment.

Granted, the modest lakeside house has seen better days – the faded yellow paint is peeling off the wooden panels and the stairs leading to the porch look ready to collapse, not to mention the knee-high grass and weeds that have taken over the yard. But it's all theirs now, and at a ridiculously low cost, too, so in Eren's eyes it's nothing short of perfect.

"We might need to fix it up a little," he admits, suddenly glad he'd brought along the mostly unused toolbox that had laid in storage ever since he'd received it from his dad on his 20th birthday. "And to mow the lawn, too."

"Let's not do that last thing," Levi interjects. His tail is leisurely swishing from side to side as he glances along the dirt path that circles around the large raspberry bushes and leads to the front steps. "I like this yard, it's much better than that measly balcony garden of yours."

 Yes, Eren's collection of tiny bonsai trees and cacti does pale in comparison to this – hectares upon hectares of rolling fields and forests on one side and the large lake stretching out into the horizon on the other, all completely untouched. Eren's done his research and they're an hour away from their closest neighbors, and an hour and a half from the nearest village where they'd stopped to pick up groceries. Maybe that's why the property had been so cheap – it's quite literally in the middle of nowhere, and nowhere is exactly where the two of them need to be right now.

The pickup truck is loaded full of their stuff – mostly Eren's stuff, to be honest, but at this point it doesn't even matter whose it is – and kept in place by a couple of tarps and wires. They've only taken the absolute necessities with them, but the bed of the pickup truck is still jam packed with furniture and carpets and small, meaningful knickknacks squeezed into the tiny empty spaces in between.

The process of unpacking everything and moving it into the house takes them the whole afternoon, along with a couple of snack breaks in between, of course. It's not like they're in a hurry, and as they laze around on the porch with fizzy drinks in hand, Eren feels the last of the tension that's been pulling at his shoulders ease. They've made it, and now the only thing he has to be concerned about is whether to place the dining table in the middle of the floor or by the large windows overlooking the lake.

After some deliberation, they decide to set it by the windows. It makes for a lovely view when sitting down for your morning coffee or tea.

That leaves them to drag the sofa and coffee table to the middle of the room, right in front of the crumbling fireplace. The bed and the dresser go into the bedroom, of course, and that's pretty much all the larger pieces of furniture they've brought along. Fortunately, the previous owner of the house has left the kitchen and bathroom mostly untouched, and while the old bathtub definitely needs a thorough scrubbing, at least it has no visible cracks or holes that would render it useless.

The rest of the day is then spent dusting and mopping and scrubbing, which, in hindsight, they probably should've done before bringing in the furniture. Cleaning's never been a favorite pastime of Eren's, so he shuffles behind Levi absently, cleaning whatever he happens to point out. To be honest, Eren's more indifferent when it comes to these things – a little bit of dust and some cobwebs in the corners only make the place feel more like home, in his opinion, but Levi's not having any of that.

He makes them clean every nook and cranny of the old house, and for the first time in his life, Eren can honestly say that he's having a good time cleaning. His one-bedroom apartment had always been so cramped and cluttered that he'd gotten used to it over the years, but he has to admit that there's a certain sense of satisfaction that follows upon standing in a freshly cleaned room.

That, and it's also been far too long since he's seen Levi this comfortable in his own skin. Granted, he still stands more hunched over than necessary and jumps at sudden loud noises, but there's a spring in his step that wasn't there before. To think that this vibrant young man is the very same malnourished and skittish creature he'd stumbled across less than a year ago.

His musings are interrupted by a moist lemon-scented cloth being flung at his face. At least it's a clean one, Eren thinks as he takes it and folds it in half.

"I know that look. You're thinking of something sentimental again," Levi accuses him, ears perking up as he gives Eren a withering glance.

"Who, me? Well, I'd never," he says and summons up his most charming grin. Though Levi only scoffs and tells him to get back to cleaning, there's the faintest of smile lingering on his lips as he turns away, the tip of his tail flicking from side to side in happy little motions.

With his lemon-scented cloth, Eren sets to wiping off the window frames as instructed, and it turns out that they're a whole different color under all that dirt. Who would've guessed.

The house holds a couple of other surprises, too – there's a whole separate walk-in closet in the corner of the bedroom, and also a latch in the ceiling of the hallway that leads into an attic which seems to be full of old furniture. A whole cloud of dust rises up to meet Eren when he climbs up to investigate, so they decide to leave cleaning the attic for another day.

By nightfall they've at last finished, each room polished up to Levi's high standards. Eren's laptop and work folders are still piled up on the coffee table since he hasn't yet decided where to put them, but all of their pots and mugs have been unwrapped so that Eren can make them some tea. He prefers it plain while Levi takes his tea with a generous amount of milk and a dash of honey.

Though it's already June, the night air is pleasantly cool, and there's a light wind blowing from the east that's making it feel more like early spring. Despite that, they sit side by side on the run-down steps outside, mugs of tea in hand and a large blanket draped over their shoulders as they gaze out into the lake. Now that his ears have gotten used to the lack of urban noises, Eren's discovered a dozen of quiet symphonies rising up from the ground. The swish of the grass in the breeze blends in with the sounds of countless bugs and critters waking up to greet one another. Off in the distance, he can hear the wash of the water over the shore, a soothing hum at the back of his consciousness.

The only human – or rather feline – noise is the low chatter escaping from Levi's mouth, his eyes closely trained on the fireflies congregating over a particular patch of wildflowers. Dim spots of light dancing in midair in elaborate circles, they don't seem to mind the sound in the slightest, though Eren's sure that if Levi were more feral he'd pounce at them. Maybe it's a little overwhelming for him as well, going from the noisy streets of a big city to such a different environment.

One of the fireflies happens to stray from the group to flutter towards the two of them and Levi's chattering increases in volume, accompanied by a strong flick of his tail that almost sends the blanket falling down from his shoulders.

Eren's not laughing at him, he swears, but he can't fight the grin that rises to his face.

"See, you're gonna have much more to do here instead of staying cooped up in my apartment all day," he points out as he takes a tip of his cooling tea.

Levi's attention snaps back to him, his head tilted to the side. "Yeah. This is nice." He's not a man of many words, as usual, but Eren knows that this refers to much more than just the lakeside house. "Not that many things for you to do, though. There's not even a Starbucks nearby." The hesitation in his voice reveals that it's not really about the Starbucks, it's about everything that Eren's had to give up for his sake to arrive at this point in time – menial things that don't really matter when all is said and done, Eren's come to notice. They're both here, alive with all parts of their body in tact and a roof over their heads, and to be honest, overpriced lattes are the last thing on Eren's mind at the moment.

"I'm trying to cut down on caffeine anyway," he replies and reaches out to ruffle Levi's hair, fingers pausing to scratch at the base of his right ear. There are a hundred other responses he'd like to give, to express just of how little importance coffee shops and takeaway and just the whole of modern society along with all its conveniences are to him when Levi's safety and well-being is at stake. However, from the way Levi tenses up for just a fraction of a second before leaning into his touch, Eren can tell it's too early for that.

"Really, now." It's more of a statement than a question, spoken in a light tone as Levi turns to once again stare at the fireflies that continue their dance over the tall grass, cradling the half-empty mug in his hands. His gaze is more inquisitive than predatory now, eyes trailing their movements leisurely.

They sit there once they've finished the tea, and though Levi seems pleasantly sleepy and comfortable for now, Eren keeps on stroking through his hair with all the reassurance he can muster up.

The fireflies linger long after the two of them have gone inside, their faint light the only thing that illuminates the night.

\- - -

Among one of the many things they've had to discuss along way are sleeping arrangements. It's just recently that Levi's been coming to bed with him, no doubt due to the chain of events that eventually led them to leave the city. They have clear boundaries set out for sharing a bed – clothes stay on the whole time, no full-body contact and no hogging the covers. The last one's not really because of Levi's issues or anything like that, but because it's just plain rude.

On their first morning, Eren wakes up to see an empty pillow next to him. He glances down, and as expected, Levi's curled up at the foot of the bed, tangled in the sheets with one arm draped around Eren's leg. This is something they've talked about, as well, and though he's reminded Levi countless times that he can take up as much space on the bed he likes, somehow Levi always ends up by his feet during the night.

It looks like a comfortable position, though, so Eren leaves him to sleep while he pads into the kitchen to get breakfast started. The morning light paints everything gold as he puts the kettle on and rummages through the fridge for toast and other breakfast necessities. Butter for him and strawberry jam for Levi, because he's oh-so-fond of sweet things despite of being a bit prickly sometimes. Is cactus jam a thing? Maybe he should give that a try sometimes, Eren thinks idly.

The sounds and scents of a lovingly cooked breakfast soon lure Levi out into the kitchen as well, eyes barely open as he slumps down at the table. Eren greets him with a light touch on the arm along with that familiar questioning head motion they've established, and after having received permission in the form of a bleary nod, brushes a light kiss over his cheek.

In addition to toast, the kitchen table is laid out with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and orange juice, along with a selection of healthy fruits, of course. When it comes to breakfast, Eren's not stingy – it's the most important meal of the day, after all, so he tosses a couple more slices of bacon on the pan before Levi's barely even finished the ones already on his plate. He's no longer unnaturally thin and bony like when Eren had first taken him in, but it certainly wouldn't hurt him to put on a few more pounds.

Levi grumbles at him in response when he states this out loud, but picks up another slice of golden brown toast from the toaster anyway.

Once they've finished eating and rinsed off the dishes, Eren sits down on the sofa where all his work stuff is waiting for him. The windows have been opened wide to let in the warm summer breeze and Eren can see how Levi's ears are perking up in interest at the sounds of birds twittering outside, though he's trying to look wholly uninterested.

"It's fine, you can go off and explore and do whatever you want," Eren says with an amused look. "We're hundreds of miles away from civilization, you can go outside whenever you feel like it."

"Right." Levi takes a few steps towards the door, tail curling into an “s” shape as he glances back at Eren, a little hesitant. "I'll just be a moment, you know, to check out the surroundings."

"Take as long as you like," Eren assures him, giving an encouraging nod. "Be back around noon for lunch, though."

As he watches Levi go, Eren can't help but to smile – his precious darling, surrounded by grass and flowers, at last in a place where no-one's coming after him. Against the rising light of the morning, his silhouette is clear and framed with a luminous shine, and in that moment, it's not that difficult for Eren to imagine that Levi's kind of people might have something otherworldly about them after all. Even so, he can't comprehend how someone could even think of plucking those pretty ears from his head just to make a couple of lucky charms.

That's all behind them now, though. They're safe, which is something Eren has to keep on repeating to himself since it hasn't quite yet registered to him. One of the things he'd promised to do as soon as he could is to call Hanji, so he picks up his phone where it's been laying on the table.

He'd switched it off in the morning of their departure, and to be honest, he's not sure what to expect as he turns it on again. It takes a couple of seconds for the screen to flicker to life, and immediately his eyes go to the numerous notifications for missed calls and a couple of messages. He can take a look at those later, but for now he just looks through his contacts until he finds Hanji, pressing the button for call.

She picks up after a couple of rings, sounding as chipper as always. Since she's just on her way to a meeting, their conversation is a short one – after confirming that they've arrived safe and sound at their destination, she confirms that she's given copies of Eren's example work to the client.

"I met up with her yesterday for lunch, and let me tell you, she loves your art," Hanji chirps. "She's already signed a contract with her publisher for three more books. Now, this is totally off-the-record, but she'd be very eager to have you illustrate those ones as well."

Three more books in addition to the one he's already doing mean even more cross-eyed bluebirds and wonky dandelions and other funny creatures the author seemed so fond of. It's a fresh breath of air from all the other children's books Eren's illustrated during his short career – just as adult literature, children's literature is also getting edgier and edgier. Seriously, if he has to draw another conventionally attractive tween character with a mysterious past and a hairstyle that defies gravity – and yes, that is a thing he's come across more than once or twice – he's just going to throw the script right into the trash. Give him fairytale birds and flowers any day over that crap. Apparently there's going to be a scatterbrained snail in the sequels, too, and damn it, Eren's already loving this series despite not belonging to its target audience of middle school children.

Hanji makes sure to remind him of his next deadline that's about a month away. Now that the author's happy with his interpretation of the characters, he can get started on designing the actual illustrations for the book. Before hanging up, Hanji tells him to call any time if he has questions or concerns and that she'll get in touch with him next week to check how he's doing. It's a ritual they've established long time ago, and to be honest, Eren's not sure if he'd ever actually be able to finish anything if it weren't for Hanji's insistence to check up on him at least once a week. Previously she'd done so by dropping by at his apartment and, during the darker times when he couldn't even get out of bed or let alone open the door, he'd gladly even handed her a spare key. That was out of the question now, though, but just hearing her voice on the other end of the line cheers Eren up.

In fact, the call leaves him so motivated that he decides to get some work done right away.

His papers are neatly packed in their waterproof case while the colors and brushes are in a separate cardboard box he'd plopped down on the floor the previous day. While most of Eren's clients have specifically asked for digitally colored art, this particular author had explicitly told Hanji that she liked the watercolors much better than the digital examples that Eren had prepared. Watercolor is his preferred medium, the one that he first started with and the one that's closest to his heart. Maybe that shows somehow, maybe he unknowingly pours a bit of a larger part of his soul into his watercolor paintings than any of his other work.

In the first part of the story, the cross-eyed bluebird stumbles upon a large field of dandelions, so Eren starts off by sketching dozens of dandelions, some straight and some skewed, others in full bloom and others just opening up to greet the sun. His process of illustrating is slow and thorough, and this is just the first of many concept sketches he likes to do in order to get a sense of the scene and the atmosphere he's going for.

He'd started off painting while seated on the couch, but somehow he eventually finds himself laying down on the floor with watercolor dandelions surrounding him. By the time he looks up from where he's immersed in his work it's already half past noon. Time's flown by so fast that he's left blinking at the clock owlishly, astonished at how intensely he's been working. Something's jolted him out of his haze, though. That's right, when Eren concentrates, he can hear a curious noise from somewhere within the house. It sounds like chirping, only more garbled. After a particularly high squeak and some fluttering, he thinks he can also hear a low hiss.

"Levi?" he calls out, and the hissing stops. "Is that you?"

Eren doesn't know what to expect as he stands up and tiptoes closer to the source of the noise. It's coming from the hallway, a panicked squeaking that grows louder with each step.

"Levi, is that you?" he calls out one last time before peeking through the doorway, and what he sees has him frozen in place.

It is Levi, crouched down on the floor with a live bird in his mouth, thin streaks of blood running down along his chin. As soon as Eren enters, Levi's eyes flicker to him, his pupils unnaturally small and the gray of his irises more feral than ever.

"Are you okay?" Eren asks as he rushes to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. That seems to break Levi out of it – he blinks rapidly, gaze darting from Eren's face to the feathery friend still trapped between his jaws.

"Mmph," he vocalises, causing the bird to flutter its wings even harder.

"Here, give it to me," Eren says and thrusts out his hand, and as soon as the request leaves him, Levi opens his mouth and drops the frightened animal onto his palm.

At least it's not a bluebird with a cross-eyed stare, because while Eren's existence feels like an absurd fairy tale at times, he's not sure if his head could take that level of mindfuckery. It looks more like a sparrow with its brown feathers and light gray chest. There are distinct teeth marks marring its side, and it can't do much else than thrash around on Eren's hand.

He tears his stare away from the bird and instead looks at Levi. "What," he starts off, pausing so search for the right words. He can't find any, though, so he just repeats his earlier sentiments. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Levi says and they stare at each other in silence that's only broken by the bird's muffled cries for help. Then Eren speaks up again, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"When I said we were having lunch at noon, I didn't mean that you had to go out and catch it for us." He reaches out to wipe off some of the blood on Levi' face. "Please tell me none of this is yours."

"I don't think so," Levi replies, his expression remaining just a bit perplexed. "I'm not sure what happened, I was just watching it fly around and before I even noticed, I'd jumped at it."

"Well, it happens to the best of us," Eren remarks in an attempt at being compassionate even though he can't remember the last time he'd been struck with the urge to chew on a live animal. It's different with Levi, though, a part of his natural instincts, Eren supposes. Back in the city there'd been nothing to hunt, and now here every little bush and tuft of grass is full of life.

"This is weird," Levi mutters as he stares at the bird, keen eyes following its every move. His ears are slanting flat against his hair, head hanging low and tail swaying miserably behind him. "Sorry, I don't..."

Eren interrupts him with a scratch behind his ear. "Good boy. Small and quick animals like this must be really hard to catch, well done." Yes, it's kinda gross, but also endearing in a way. Besides, Eren knows enough about cat behaviour to realize that a successful hunt warrants praise and reinforcement. "Don't be sorry, I'm really proud of you."

There's a light flush lingering on Levi's cheeks as he purrs deep from his throat, eyes closing in delight at Eren's soft petting. It's such an adorable sight that Eren wants nothing more than to kiss him with all the gentle love he holds for him, and he probably would if it weren't for the persistent chirping and the brush of feathers against the skin of his palm.

Right, the bird. That’s something they’re gonna have to deal with.

Regretfully, he retracts his fingers, coming to support the bird with both hands. "Now, you better go and wash that blood off your face, and maybe brush your teeth, too," he advises Levi as he stands up. "After you're done, come to the kitchen and we'll get started on the actual lunch."

"What are we going to do with that?" Levi asks with a nod towards the bird Eren's cradling in his hands. Avoiding its sharp claws and quick beak, Eren turns the animal around, examining its wounds.

"I think we could patch it up. Seems like most of its internal organs have remained unharmed." He's no veterinarian, but most of the bird's injuries seem to be on its wings. If he had to venture a guess, he'd say that this animal had been hunted with the purpose of delivering it alive instead of immediately consuming it.

As Levi goes off to get cleaned up, Eren carries the struggling bird into the kitchen. Though it can't fly, it's wriggling in his hands and trying to escape, so Eren places it into a sturdy box to keep it contained. It stumbles around in a disoriented manner, eventually curling up in the corner with its feathers puffed out.

"It's okay, you don't have to be afraid," Eren coos from above, but it has very little effect on the bird. He keeps his eyes on it the whole time as he backs away to grab the first aid kit stored in one of the kitchen cupboards. First aid for humans – and part cat, part human creatures – isn't the same as first aid for birds, but maybe it could be at least of some use.

He's just taken out some gauze and tape when Levi comes back, his face now cleaned. "Do you know how to treat injured birds?" he asks, hopping up to sit on the counter, stare glued to the bird like he's still preparing to snatch it up with his mouth.

Eren gives a shrug. "It's just a little bird, it can't be that hard."

What follows during the next hour is the most nerve-wracking operation Eren's ever experienced.

For such a small bird, the damn thing makes an awful lot of noise, in addition to being as slippery as a bar of soap. It doesn't really help that Levi keeps growling at it as it tries to get away, even further frightening it, which results in several high-pitched squeaks from the bird and some light scolding from Eren.

Eventually, with the aid of a coffee cup, a can opener and a pair of dish gloves, they succeed at bandaging the bird's injured wings, and Eren places it back into the box, along with a small bowl of water and some seeds. It goes straight for the corner again, and at last Eren can breathe a sigh of relief. Releasing it back into the wild wouldn't be a good idea since it can't yet fly, so he leaves the bird where it is to rest and gather up its strength.

"We should've just eaten it," Levi remarks from his side, and he's inclined to agree. It would've been much less trouble.

"Small birds like this barely have any meat," he replies instead, wiping the sweat off his brow. "There's enough chicken in the fridge for the both of us, though, along with potatoes. Wanna make soup?"

Levi gives a nod and moves to take out the ingredients from the fridge while Eren goes to retrieve their largest pot. If there's one thing his parents have taught him, it's that when you're making food, you might as well make a larger batch to last for several days.

Levi's tail is twitching in that familiar way that signals there's something on his mind, so Eren pauses to lay a steadying hand by his back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Levi replies, a small crease forming between his brows as he looks to the chicken instead of facing Eren.

Since he hasn't been pushed away yet, Eren moves to wind his arms around Levi, chin resting on his shoulder. "It's fine, you can tell me," he coaxes, to which Levi gives an irritated sigh.

"This is really stupid, but," here he pauses to draw in a breath, voice laced with frustration. "I wanted to give you something nice. On second thought, the bird probably wasn't the best possible thing, but anyway."

Eren presses a kiss into his shoulder, affectionate laughter bubbling in the pit of his stomach. "It was a sweet thought, though. I appreciate it," he says, and feels Levi relax a little. "Maybe you could give me other nice things. Like flowers. It looks like I'm gonna be painting a lot of those, so some references would be useful."

Levi makes a vague sound at that, still not appearing entirely satisfied.

"Or a kiss. I'm always up for those," Eren suggests with mock innocence, and that earns a smile from Levi, a small one, but a smile nonetheless. The kiss follows soon after, just a tiny chaste peck on the lips, but that's already more than enough for Eren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ?? ? ?? ?? ? ??? ????? how many fluffy and nature-y tags can i add to this. i want all of them okokoko, maximize the nature fluff


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next couple of weeks, the little injured sparrow gradually grows stronger, especially once they decide to move its box from the kitchen to the front yard. It can only fly in short bursts and still puffs itself up in fear if Levi happens to get too close, so it can't exactly fend for itself in the wild.

It does trot around the yard like it owns the place, scouring through the soil with its beak and looking for worms to eat. Eren would've expected it to run back into the wild the moment they'd set it outside, but curiously enough, the bird keeps on coming back. Most of it probably has to do with the fact that Eren sets out a bowl of water and some food for it every morning, just to make sure it doesn't starve.

Now, at last, he can really say that they've settled in at the lakeside house. No longer do the wind howling in the corners at night and the creaking of the old floorboards remind him of someone creeping in the hallway – the sounds of the house are like a muted lullaby now, whispering stories from generations ago. Amongst all this, they've fallen into a comfortable routine.

Most of Eren's days are spent sketching and painting, but not so much that it tires him like it used to at one point. The key is to take a lot of breaks – coffee breaks, tea breaks, petting-the-cat-slash-boyfriend breaks and just about any breaks. After he's taken a few moments to snack and unwind, coming back to the paper feels much easier. He doesn't confine himself to only the kitchen table or living room sofa when working, either. There's nothing quite like sitting out on the porch on a sunny day with a paintbrush and some paper, dragging red and blue strokes across the white surface while surrounded by such an idyllic scenery.

As for Levi, he hasn't brought in any more live – or dead, for that matter – animals. He'd taken Eren's hint at the flowers, though, delivering him a couple of dandelions or some Queen Anne’s lace every now and then, and Eren makes sure to cherish each one of them. Levi tends to dart off as soon as he's dropped the flowers in front of Eren, tail flicking nervously, so Eren's not sure if he's noticed how Eren tends to use them as reference when he plans illustrations.

On one occasion, Levi happens to throw a bunch of bluebells in his lap before skittering off, and there's so many of them that Eren thinks it would be a waste to not make something pretty out of them.

The forest he'd just been painting is left aside as Eren spends the half an hour weaving the bluebells to form a lopsided circle. It's certainly not the most well-constructed flower crown, but considering that it's his first attempt ever, Eren thinks he's done quite well.

The sun's already setting by the time he sees Levi again, and as soon as they're within arms reach from one another, he plops the crown on top of Levi's head. It fits like a charm, just like he'd envisioned, the chain of blue flowers coming to rest just below his soft black ears that are drawing closer to his head in a displeased manner.

"What is this?" Levi intones with a flat look, shaking his head from side to side in hopes of flinging it off.

"Don't do that," Eren scolds him gently, cupping Levi's face in his hands. He no longer flinches before leaning into Eren's touch, a fact that makes Eren grin even wider. "It's a flower crown. Now you're all pretty and summery." To be fair, Levi's always pretty to his eyes, but even moreso now with bluebells in his hair and a faint pink hue rising to his cheeks. Eren can tell that he's trying to appear as disinterested as possible, but when he leans to place a light kiss at the tip of Levi's nose, he can hear the the purr that's vibrating up from his chest.

"What's gotten into you?" Levi speaks in a murmur, not bothered in the slightest that Eren's still lingering close by, their breaths mingling with one another. "You've become way too sappy."

"It's your fault," Eren claims, and with one last kiss at Levi's temple, he draws back, only to be pulled in again.

"We have to match, though. I don't wanna be the only one who looks stupid," Levi insists, tugging at Eren back towards the porch.

"You look lovely, not stupid," Eren corrects him and follows along easily.

The yard is bathed in warm yellow light and the sounds of their wandering footsteps mix in with the crickets and other animals that have just woken up to fill the summer night with lively sounds. Eren can't get enough of touching Levi, just innocent little touches amongst picking out suitable flowers – one moment he'll be lightly linking their fingers together and the next draping an arm around Levi's waist in a lopsided hug, nuzzling into the crook of his neck to hide the dumb smile on his face. On those occasions, Levi will bat at his arm feebly and call him a leech, but his voice is full of fondness and his tail curls around Eren's leg in a loose hold as if to draw him even closer.

In between fleeting affectionate touches and even a few open-mouthed kisses, they collect a varied bunch of flowers – meadow buttercups, red campions, and a couple of yarrows, too. Levi insists that yellow and pink both suit Eren, and the yarrows are there because they'd happened to find a lot of them by the shore. That's where they end up sitting, on the rugged sand where the cool water laps at their bare toes as they spread out the flowers in front of them.

It turns out that Levi's not half bad at making flower crowns – his slim fingers weave together flower after flower, and soon Eren gives up with his own fumbling attempts and settles for simply watching Levi. There's a look of concentration on his features, his ears leaning forward and his tail laying relaxed on the ground, its tip flicking up every now and then.

Eventually Eren finds himself with his head resting in Levi's lap, which is an interesting reversal from their usual set-up – Levi's most common way of asking to be pet is plopping down across Eren's lap with his ears and hair directly within his reach for maximum petting. From where he's laying down right now, Eren can only reach his tail and he's sort of under the impression that cats don't like it all that much when people mess with their tails.

Nevertheless, he reaches out to skim his fingers over the black fur, enjoying how silky it feels against his skin. Levi only reacts with an absent-minded grunt, brows knitting together as he ties in the last flower that'll connect the chain into a finished crown. His tail comes to flick over the side of Eren's face, which he interprets as a sign of approval rather than annoyance. Encouraged by this, he presses the tail closer to his cheek, eyes falling closed at its pleasant softness.

"So fluffy," he comments, even venturing to give the tail a little kiss. "It doesn't feel uncomfortable when I touch it?"

"Not at all, it's nice." With a poke at his side, Levi urges him to move off. "Come on, sit up, I'm done."

While Eren wouldn't mind laying there for the rest of the night, he raises himself up, stretching out his legs in front of him. "It looks much better than the one I made," he remarks as he eyes the completed flower crown, suddenly feeling inadequate for no good reason.

Levi's eyes narrow at him. "Shush, you." In an instant, he's moved to brace his knees on either side of Eren's, looming over him with the crown in hand. He places it delicately on top of Eren's head, pressing down a little to make sure it doesn't get blown away by the evening breeze. "That's much better. Now we match." He ducks down to rub his cheek against Eren's in a slightly odd yet endearing gesture.

"And yet you keep calling me the sappy one," Eren intones, one hand coming to rest by Levi's back. They should probably be getting up and going back inside for supper, but right now he's quite comfortable right here.

"It's because you are. Don't ruin the moment." With that, Levi goes back to nuzzling at Eren's face, and after having apparently done a satisfactory job, moves down to rub his cheek along his neck, as well. Eren's not too well-versed in hybrid biology, but he's pretty sure that unlike the kind of cats that walk on all fours, Levi doesn't have the scent glands needed to actually mark his territory. It's just a leftover quirk, yet even so, it feels kinda nice that he'd consider Eren worth marking.

Though Eren would love to stay there for the rest of the night, eventually the rumbling of his stomach and the thought of the grilled cheese he'd meaning to prepare become too much to resist.

The flowers crowns stay on their heads through supper and beyond, even as they get ready for bed. It's not often that Eren keeps on working so late, but it would be a shame to stop now when he's really gotten his flow going. With his jar of water and palette safely on the nightstand, he sits at the head of the bed with his legs crossed and brush in hand, adding the finishing touches on a particularly thriving dandelion. Levi's curled up next to him, head resting on his shoulder as he reads, which is something he's taken an interest in quite recently.

Once the light grows too dim to keep on painting, Eren sets his work aside. It had been a conscious decision to not bring along a single clock, so the sun and the moon are their only ways of telling the time. Levi's already fallen asleep against his shoulder, snoring lightly in what sounds more like a purr than any human sound. He produces a quiet mewl when Eren moves to a more comfortable position but doesn't wake up, only burrowing deeper into the covers.

In the morning he's somehow lying by Eren's feet again and the whole bed is full of grass and petals from their now crushed flower crowns. The first thing they do is strip the sheets and hang them on the clothesline outside to get rid of even the tiniest pieces of grass.

The scent of buttercups lingers in the white fabric even after the light summer wind has brushed off all the petals. As Eren watches the sheet flutter in the breeze, something begins brewing at the back of his head.

Aside from the clothesline they've hung up and the little box-nest for the sparrow that now seems to have moved in with them, the yard is pretty empty. There's so much room, too, so it's a shame to see it go unused.

It all comes together during their next visit to the village for groceries. Each trip requires Levi to stash his ears under a larger trucker cap along with pulling on a pair of jeans that are loose enough to hide his tail as long as he makes sure not to move it too much. For a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, the inhabitants are surprisingly disinterested in their presence – you'd think that two men living together would earn a few disapproving glares from this kind of crowd, but no-one really seems to mind.

As he's going through the shelves of the general store, Eren happens upon a great offer on potatoes. Though they're incredibly cheap, they're covered in long swirly shoots and don't exactly look that appetizing. The label on the wooden box reveals that they're seed potatoes, and while Eren knows literally nothing about potato farming, he picks up one nonetheless and examines it from all possible angles.

Yes, this could do nicely.

The three sweet old ladies who run the store are glad to help them, and they end up leaving the store with much more than just a couple of old potatoes. The bed of their pick-up truck is loaded with fertilizer, various tools and a whole bag of seed potatoes along with some carrots and radishes. Their regular weekly groceries sit by Levi's feet on the passenger's side from where he snacks on the bag of cashews while Eren rambles on about potatoes.

"Did you know that potatoes actually contain more potassium than bananas?" he says, remembering the various pieces of potato trivia one of the owners had divulged as she'd shown off their selection of hoes.

"That's nice," Levi replies as he cracks open a can of lemonade. "Maybe that's why they're called potatoes."

Eren's silent for a while. "Wait, I don't get it."

"You know, potato." Here Levi pauses meaningfully, at last free to remove his cap now that they're out of the village. "Potassium. They have the same beginning."

"Oh, now I get it. That's a good one." He reaches out to ruffle Levi's hair, a smile playing on his features.

They get started that very afternoon. After much deliberation, they come to the decision to plant the potatoes near the side of the house, the one that gets all the afternoon sun. In five neat rows, they plant potato after potato, scooping out loose soil to make tiny holes for the potatoes to nestle in, then covering them up with dirt again. It's oddly relaxing to partake in some physical labor, and though they do have a variety of new gardening equipment, Eren can't resist sinking his bare fingers into the ground. Levi scowls at him with distaste, but soon enough Eren catches him carding through the soil as well.

In addition to the potatoes, they also plant the carrots and the radishes nearby. It's not a very big vegetable garden, but it's theirs, and as Eren gazes upon it, dirt under his fingernails and beads of sweat running down along his face, he feels a sense of pride swelling up inside of him.

"Our babies," he sighs and pulls Levi close to him.

"You're such an idiot," Levi huffs, squirming a little before settling into his arms. Though it's not audible, Eren can feel the vibration of his purring when they're skin to skin, and yes, maybe he is an idiot, but at least he's a happy one.

Realistically speaking, Eren knows that it'll take many weeks for their babies to break through the soil. Even so, every time he happens to pass by the living room windows that give way to the sunny side of the house, he peeks at the rows of upturned soil, just to make sure he doesn't miss a thing.

More often or not he'll also see Levi crouched there right next to their babies, keeping watch with his tail swishing from side to side. Eren had made an offhanded comment about hoping that moles or other rodents don't come digging through their crop and eating it all, and ever since Levi had taken it upon himself to personally scare off any wandering vermin. Eren can't help but to linger by the window every now and then, his gaze soft as he regards Levi's alert figure.

He's not sure if there are any actual moles living in the ground, but if there are, Levi's stalking has surely warded them away from their potatoes and other vegetables. It's more effective than anything Eren could've thought of, at least, so he makes sure to reward Levi with plenty of pets and snuggles in the grass as they watch over their babies together.

The summer sun is showing no mercy to their crops, beating down from a near cloudless sky. They have to resort to lugging the watering can to the well and back in an effort to keep their vegetable garden hydrated. Potatoes aren't that picky when it comes to that kind of stuff, or at least so the internet tells him. It's the 21st century, so of course they have internet even in the middle of nowhere. Loading a single page takes a good few minutes, though, but it's not really a bad thing. At least now Eren can't waste his day away by watching dozens of cute animal videos.

According to the weather broadcast there's a large storm front coming in from the east, promising days worth of rain. This prompts Eren to double-check that their humble abode is completely waterproof, and except for a couple of loose tiles that he nails down, everything seems to be in order. Most of the summer has been pleasantly warm so far with a few scorching days in between, so a bit of rain would be more than welcome.

Actually, what they get is more than just a bit of rain.

Eren wakes up to the sound of water pounding down against their roof, a low and comforting noise that would almost lull him right back to sleep if it weren't for the unusual weight on top of him. He glances down and finds that instead of his usual place by his feet, Levi's draped himself perpendicular to Eren, laying over his stomach face burrowed into the mattress and his tail wrapped around Eren's leg. How anyone can sleep in that position comfortably is a mystery to him.

It takes a bit of gentle nudging and prodding, but eventually Eren makes it to sitting up without disturbing him. The room is darker than on any of the other mornings, and as Eren cranes his neck to peer outside the window, he sees dark clouds covering the sky as far as the eye can see. There are rivulets of water running down along the glass panes and distorting the view, but he can make out the trees in the distance bending with the strong wind.

As he watches the gloomy scenery outside his fingers are idly carding through Levi's hair, occasionally drifting lower to trace abstract shapes over his neck. Even though he has the covers wrapped around him and a lap full of warm and snuggly cat boyfriend, there's a distinct chill creeping into the room.

He pokes at Levi's side, this time more determined than before. "Hey, wake up," he whispers and receives a half-yawn, half groan in response. Since gentle violence doesn't seem to be working, he goes for the opposite approach, leaning down to kiss along Levi's jaw softly. "It's morning, love, and you're laying on top of me."

Levi's tail thumps against his leg in sleepy annoyance, but he shows no other signs of getting up. With a sigh, Eren moves to capture his lips in a deep if a little clumsy kiss, swallowing up the quiet mewl that Levi makes at the back of his throat.

"Ew, morning breath," he exclaims groggily once they separate and Eren rolls his eyes.

"You didn't seem to mind just a couple of seconds ago," he points out, nudging at Levi again when his head falls back to the mattress. "Get up, we have to get the fire started in order to warm up the house."

"But it's so nice here," Levi purrs, arms winding around Eren's waist. "I don't want to. Pet me."

Eren returns to playing with his hair and occasionally stroking over his ears, but even so, he's not about to give in, no matter how sweet his darling is being right now. "It's raining outside. Don't you feel like having some hot tea to warm up?"

"Huh. Is that so?" At last Levi glances up, his bleary eyes trained on the raindrops rolling down the glass of the window. "What a shame. Guess we'll just have to stay in bed all day."  
  
Neither one of them wants to give in, but after Eren's insistent prodding turns into tickling and Levi nearly rolls himself out of the bed in an attempt to escape, they're both far too awake to continue lounging around. The floorboards are ice cold under Eren's feet, so before doing anything else he grabs a pair of woollen socks each for himself and Levi. Even in the middle of the summer, it's good to have them on hand.

As soon as he steps into the living room, Eren makes a beeline for the fireplace. Thankfully they keep a small box of firewood next to it just in case so that he doesn't have to go outside to retrieve it, and soon enough there are vibrant orange flames licking at the wood. While his thoughts soon drift off to breakfast, he remains there for a moment, soaking up the warmth until he no longer even remembers the chill.

The rain shows no signs of letting up, so it's the perfect time for Eren to get ahead with his work. Levi, on the other hand, grows more frustrated with each hour that passes. After he's obsessively cleaned through their whole kitchen and then reorganized all of their cupboards, he only seems more on edge. A bit of cuddling and petting usually calms him down, but this time it doesn't appear to do anything – he fidgets in Eren's arms more than usual, even biting at Eren's fingers whenever he can reach them, a habit Eren thought he'd gotten rid of a long time ago.

It's not long after lunch that until Levi announces he's off to take a nap. Eren sees him off with a kiss and a promise of more pets when he wakes up, hoping that a bit of rest will ease him. Just like any other feline, Levi tends to sleep a good ten hours a day or so, which, as far as Eren knows, isn't unusual at all.

After Levi's padded off into the bedroom, Eren's left there on the sofa with his work, the soft noise of rain thrumming against the roof his only companion. On the paper in front of him are daffodils and dandelions leaning towards one another, and now, with a steady hand, he begins painting the bluebird's eccentric makeshift nest. By now he knows the book's storyline by heart, and while he's made a few bold choices with regards to character design, judging by the author's lengthy notes and doodles in the margins of the manuscript, she comes across as the kind of person who'd appreciate something unique. Bluebirds don't really have a tall goofy tuft of feathers perched on top of their heads in real life, and there's no mention of it in the text, either, but for this bluebird it looks entirely in character.

He never thought he'd be able to say this about his art, but it doesn't look half bad. In fact, if he were feeling particularly generous, he could even say it looks pretty good.

Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, because once he examines it closer he can see all of his usual flaws – stiff outlines, sketchy brushwork and the inconsistent coloring his professors had always pointed out. Thankfully it's not even halfway done yet and he has plenty of time to fix up the little details.

The thing about art – and life in general, or so he'd always thought until very recently – is that he can never reach that point where he's happy with how things have turned out. There's always something missing, something that leaves his work just short of perfect, or even decent. It used to bother him a whole lot more in the past, and while that feeling still lingers, it's not as overpowering as it once was and it certainly no longer renders him unable to get through the day with his sanity intact.

Though painting is by no means easy to him, it can often immerse Eren to such a great extent that he forgets about everything else. A loud clap of thunder is what at last draws his attention away from the paper. The rain has grown even more intense, and as he glances out the window, a bolt of lightning strikes down from the gray clouds, soon followed by an another another rumble. The fire's nearly gone out, so Eren adds more wood before making his way to the front door, carefully cracking it open.

He's hit with a powerful gust of wind as soon as he peeks outside, along with dampness that chills him to the bone. There's rain as far as the eye can see, so heavy that he can barely make out the shoreline of the lake. Its drumming against the roof is deafening, especially out on the porch, but Eren still stands there for a moment or two, the hairs at the back of his neck rising as he watches a yet another bolt of lightning strike down further off.

There's something about storms that has always excited him, and with each roll of thunder heard from above he feels more tempted to simply stand there on the porch and gaze up at the darkened skies. In a way, it's kind of relaxing to do nothing but watch the rain and breathe in its fresh, cleansing scent.

Retreating back inside, he grabs an old sweater that’s around four sizes too big for him from one of the hallway closets to bundle up in and returns to the living room. The slight pain in his neck when he stretches his arms out above his head tells him that he's spent enough time hunched over his work, already, so he gathers up his equipment and sets it aside for another day. It's the perfect kind of weather for some hot tea and cookies – he has a whole can of them stashed away in their highest cupboard for when the situation might call for some.

His eyes flicker to the cracked open bedroom door. It must have been hours now, so surely Levi's already awake and maybe immersed in a good book again. However, when Eren calls out to him, all he gets in response is silence.

It's dark inside the room as he slips inside, his attention instantly drawn to the empty bed. The duvet is a little ruffled, a sure sign that someone's slept there, but Levi's nowhere to be seen. His mouth pinching into a worried line, Eren moves to the window, almost automatically glancing in the direction of their vegetable garden that he can just barely see from here. Had he been so focused on his work that he'd missed Levi going off to somewhere? No, that couldn't be possible, and besides, the weather's so horrible that no-one would dare to venture out. The rain is pouring down relentlessly, and as the thunder continues to rage, it almost sounds a little like growling.

No, wait, that's actual growling, not just the storm. When Eren focuses, he can pick up on the constant low growl from under the noise of the thunder and rain. It's coming from inside, too, and the source soon becomes clear to him as he takes a step towards the bed, slowly sinking down to peer under it.

Levi's wide gray eyes stare back at him from where he's curled on the floor, sharp teeth nibbling at his tail nervously. He doesn't appear too soothed by Eren's sudden intervention as the growling still continues, though a little more quiet now.

"Hey. I was looking for you," Eren starts off, faltering a little as a particularly loud boom of thunder makes Levi jolt. "Are you okay?"

For a moment he doesn't get any response, and when Levi does speak up, his voice is so shaky it's nearly unrecognizable. "I don't know," he says, staring right through Eren.

"It's okay, come on." He stretches his hand out, trying to sound as calming as he can. "I'm right here, darling, you don't have to be scared."

"I'm not scared," Levi snaps back at him, chewing on his tail harder. It looks kind of painful with the way he's biting down and Eren has to force himself to not look away. They've never had weather like this back in the city, but Eren's seen this before – it's Levi's typical coping mechanism to hide under furniture and bite at things when anxious, and knowing his dislike for loud noises, it's no wonder that the storm has driven him under the bed.

It takes an awful lot of coaxing, but finally he succeeds in luring Levi out. He clings on to Eren hard enough to leave marks in his skin, not to mention how awkward it is waddling back to the kitchen with an another person wrapped around him. Whenever thunder sounds, Levi shivers in his arms, teeth biting down at Eren's shoulder in a fit of panic, and though Eren whispers reassurances into his ear, it requires a remarkable amount of force to disengage himself enough just to put the kettle on.

The storm continues to rage outside as the two of them cuddle up on the sofa with their tea and cookies. Though Eren offers to go get them a blanket, Levi insists on burrowing under his sweater instead. Surprisingly enough, it's not even that tight of a fit – sitting there with Levi's head resting against his chest and arms wrapped tightly around him is pretty comfortable, especially now that he's no longer growling or biting at Eren's neck.

"It's starting to clear up," Eren states with a glance outside where the dark clouds are slowly starting to disperse. The rain's still pouring down, but at least the thunder seems to have ceased. His hand tangles into Levi's hair lightly, combing through the strands in comforting motions. "Isn't that good?"

Levi nudges at his collarbone and gives a vague hum that Eren interprets as an affirmative response. They sit there together for a long while, long enough for the storm to pass completely. Just as the first shy rays of the sun cast out their light from in between the looming clouds, a quiet purr sounds from under the old oversized sweater and Eren gladly lets the rest of his tea go cold on the table in favor of resuming his petting.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey there!! thank u for clicking on this story and checking it out~~ this is basically just fluff with no plot at all, and like whenever i don't feel like writing actual proper things ((which seems to be quite often these days looool)) i'll write on this!! which is a whole lot better alternative to just laying on the floor and groaning like i usually do when i dont wanna write. because of that, updates will be ? ?? ??? super irregular, but i do have like faint ideas for some chapters, but yeah no plot so no pressure~~


	3. Chapter 3

After maybe a couple of weeks of reasonably sunny weather, they’re struck with an another bout of rain. This time it’s luckily not accompanied by thunderstorms, and while the constant rain does mean that Levi’s left with very little to do, at least he’s nowhere near as antsy as before. Most of his days are spent either watching Eren work or sorting through the previously untouched attic.    
  
It turns out that much of the furniture up there is in perfectly good condition, save for being incredibly dusty. There’s an old bookshelf and a lovely little bench that would look great on their porch, so they spend a whole afternoon dragging the aforementioned items down and then polishing them off to look as good as new. Those are the first pieces that catch their attention, but it seems that all of the previous owners’ furniture is now stored in the attic. There are rickety old beds, a couple of dressers, a kitchen table with its chairs, and, most interestingly, a variety of boxes and trunks and even a few suitcases.   
  
That’s where Levi finds the books, hidden away in a heavy wooden box. There are dozens of them, from thick ones with worn pages and leather covers to thin notebooks bound together by a few measly threads, pages filled with handwritten scribbles. There are a couple books written in some Cyrillic language neither one of them recognises, but most of them are in English, so often Eren will find Levi lounging around on the dusty attic floor, stacks of books rising around him as he reads.    
  
Many of the old books turn out to be well-known classics - Moby Dick, Pride and Prejudice, Anna Karenina - but there are also unknown authors and titles amongst them. Even more mysteriously, some of them lack an author or a title altogether, their backs empty or scratched out with the first cover page torn out. Those are the ones that seem to interest Levi most, and sometimes when the sun is starting to set he’ll even fall asleep with his face planted on the pages of a book. The sight is too endearing for Eren to rouse him, so instead he’ll bring over a blanket and brush a goodnight kiss into his hair before tiptoeing to bed.    
  
Those nights are few and far in between, though, and after Eren’s spent a couple of mornings whining about how cold and lonely he’d been waking up without anyone next to him, Levi drags the box of books down to their bedroom. It’s the perfect solution, or at least Eren thinks so, because he gets to soak up Levi’s warmth and let his quiet purring lull him to sleep.    
  
“There are several other crates with books, by the way. I checked,” Levi points out one evening after Eren’s spent the last half an hour stroking through his hair non-stop. He’s clearly trying to sound admonishing but it’s somewhat watered down by the fact that he’s been purring like an engine the whole time. “Our bedroom will be filled with nothing but books.”   
  
“That sounds great,” Eren quips and scratches behind his ears, and it really does sound great. There’s plenty of space, anyway, and if books make Levi happy then they’ll fill the whole damn house with books. He tells all this to Levi who merely elbows him lightly and calls him gross, but the content little smile and the faint pink hue rising to his face suggest that he thoroughly enjoys Eren’s grossness.   
  
As it turns out, there’s going to be a lot of time for reading. The rain doesn't let out for the rest of the summer, each gray morning more chilly than the previous one. It's no wonder that on most days they don't even make it out of the bed until noon.

To be fair, since the sky is always covered with dark clouds it might as well be past noon, too, but either way, they'll lounge around the covers tangled up in each other for what feels like a blissful eternity before even thinking of getting up. Being together like that is so nice, Eren's come to find out, and while he is usually the first one to crawl out of bed, the sense of cozy warmth is something he holds on to throughout the day.

Some mornings are much harder than others, though. Whenever he wakes up with Levi burrowing into the crook of his neck or grasping onto his arm with quiet purring carrying over to Eren's ears, he wonders if it would be possible to just never leave the bed.

On one such morning when he's feeling even more groggy than usual, he doesn't even try getting up until Levi starts wriggling around in his arms impatiently. He gives a feeble groan as Levi succeeds in escaping from his embrace, reaching out in an attempt to pull him back in. However, his hands are too heavy and clumsy, falling down on to the rumpled sheets. He's so tired, so damn tired, and his eyes slip closed with ease.

It's much colder without Levi next to him, but he'll have to make do with this because his weary and sore limbs can't even comprehend how to move in order to achieve a more vertical position. Curling up into himself under the covers like a hibernating forest animal doesn't really compare to the feeling of holding someone warm and affectionate close to him, and soon Eren's shivering despite of the thick duvet he's bundled himself up in.

There's something poking at his side relentlessly and trying to draw him out from his cozy little nest. "Hey, Eren. Get up. You're taking a bath," Levi's voice calls out, distant yet urgent. "Now."

More poking follows, but when Eren responds by swatting his hand away. Levi moves on to yank the covers off of him, leaving him exposed to the chilly morning air. "No," he whines and buries his head into the pillow. Has his voice always sounded so dry and scratchy? Maybe making words isn't such a bright idea, especially when said action feels like someone's jamming barbed wire down his throat.

What happens after Levi finally manages to pull him out of bed is all a blur to Eren. The edges of his vision are fuzzy somehow, and he can't really make sense of anything for a long while. His head feels like it might fall of any moment now, swaying wildly even though he tries to stay still, and there's a constant ringing in his ears that's growing more deafening by the moment. Perhaps he should be a little more concerned, but he's so, so tired, and even through his haze of fatigue, he registers Levi's steady arms wrapped around him and as long as Levi's holding him, things can't really be that bad.

There's cold water lapping at his feet, slowly creeping up and immersing Eren in its icy embrace. He shivers, an agonizing sound leaving him as his clumsy hands reach out and search for purchase. "Please," he rasps out, barely recognizing his own voice.

In a response to his plea, something warm and comforting comes to rest by his forehead. "Stay still," Levi orders, stroking lightly over Eren's hairline. "You're running a high fever, you need to cool down."

"It’s so cold," he whimpers, eyes falling closed as the water gradually rises over his waist.

"It just feels like it," Levi assures him. "Stay here and don't try to move, I'll be back in a minute."

"Wait," Eren starts off in a tired voice, but it's too late – the soothing touch is gone and when he opens his eyes, all he sees is the edge of the bathtub and the rising water.

With a great deal of effort, he draws his knees up to his chest and winds his shaky arms around them, rocking back and forth as the water continues to rise. It's so very cold, and with each passing second Eren grows more and more uneasy. Maybe Levi's abandoned him and left him here to drown, alone and miserable. He couldn't possibly clamber out of the tub with his aching limbs so he settles on just sitting there, head resting against the side of the tub and feeling sadder with each moment without Levi by his side.

It feels like an eternity when the bathroom door creaks open again and Levi re-enters. His form is still hazy and blurred, but Eren recognises his light steps and the restless swaying of his tail and instantly feels better. He reaches out for Levi's arm but falls a little short and instead catches him by the hem of his shirt.

"Levi," he breathes out, hating how desperate and feeble he sounds. "It hurts."

As pitiful as he must be in his current state, at least his plea catches Levi's attention. "I know," he shushes Eren and crouches next to him, coming to grip at his jaw. "Open up." After a moment of confusion, Eren cracks his mouth half open and allows Levi to place something long and metallic under his tongue. He realizes moments later that it's a thermometer and that he should probably close his mouth again to keep it from slipping out, but apparently that impulse doesn't quite make it to his muscles as Levi is forced to push his jaw closed for him.

"Poor thing. You look horrible," Levi states, stroking over Eren's cheek lightly. Though Eren can't clearly make out the look on his face, he can hear the kindness in his voice that washes over him and suddenly makes him feel a lot better somehow. "Keep your head up if you can, it's gonna be fine."

It's not, he wants to claim, because if it weren't for Levi's presence and those gentle fingers on his skin Eren's pretty sure he'd die from how horrible he's feeling. His field of vision is a bit clearer than before and the walls no longer spin around uncontrollably, but on the other hand he's now all the more aware of how sore and weak his body is. All he wants to do is curl up and go to sleep somewhere warm and dark, but Levi's propping his head up insistently and not letting him go anywhere.

With his free hand, Levi reaches to turn off the faucet, grabbing a sponge and some soap while he's at it. "Okay, well done," he says, pulling the thermometer out of Eren's mouth. Whatever it shows doesn't appear to please him as his lips twist downwards into a slight frown. "Sit back and relax, that position looks so uncomfortable. Do you want a glass of water?"

Eren gives a stiff nod, trying his best to settle into the tub. If he stays perfectly still, leaning against the smooth porcelain surface, he can almost forget how damn cold the bath is. Luckily this time he doesn't have to wait for long for Levi to return, carrying with him some towels and a glass of water.

"Here. Drink." Levi hands the glass to him. "Can you hold it on your own?"

He tries, he really tries to hold onto the glass offered to him, but after his fumbling hands nearly drop it into the tub, he grudgingly allows Levi to hold it up to his lips as he drinks in laboured gulps. Somehow he feels better after he's finished the glass, but that might be in part due to Levi's hand resting on his shoulder.

"You're sick," Levi says, stating the obvious. "A cool bath will hopefully help lower your temperature at least momentarily." His fingers twine their way leisurely into Eren's hair..

"I just need a couple more hours of sleep, that's all," he declares, craning his head to give Levi better access.

"Sure, but not before getting into clean clothes and eating something," Levi counters as he gets to work washing Eren's back. "You look like a ghost."

Using his words takes too much effort, so Eren settles for sagging back into Levi's touch, some of the tension in his shoulders easing as Levi scrubs over them. Now that his head is starting to clear, the water feels pleasantly cool instead of uncomfortable. In fact, maybe it's not as bad as he’s making it out to be.

"I can't be sick," Eren says in a stubborn voice, ignoring just how much his throat hurts whenever he speaks up. "The potatoes." He's carefully calculated the effect of the weather and the rainfall and thus determined that this week would be the best time to – quite literally – harvest the fruits of their labor. They should be just about ripe and ready for consumption by now.

"The potatoes aren't going anywhere and neither are you," Levi quips. "Just sit back and let me take care of you." It sounds like a wonderful idea, and Eren really tries to comply, but in addition to the potatoes, he has deadlines to meet and wild animals to feed, not to mention that they're almost out of milk and he really needs to pick up some more because he's actually grown quite fond of adding milk to his tea. Maybe they could get a cow or two at some point, and chickens, too. There's nothing quite like a fresh breakfast omelette with ham and tomatoes. However, none of that can take place if he's sick.

After Levi has rinsed off the last remaining suds from Eren's hair, he helps him wrap up in one of their large fluffy towels and change into clean clothes. They stand there on the bathroom floor, Eren's head bent down as Levi dries through his hair with a second towel and gently scolds him for always keeping the windows open while he works and never wearing warm socks to bed and Eren's chest feels like it might burst any moment now. The feeling only intensifies as Levi combs the damp hair away from his face and fixes his eyes directly on Eren.

"Don't pass out, now," he reminds Eren, ears twitching nervously. "You need to eat something first but then you can go back to sleep if you want to."

Eren gives a slow nod, but before he can begin to shuffle in the direction of the kitchen, he's swept off his feet by a familiar pair of arms. "I could walk on my own, you know. Probably," he mutters into Levi's shoulder as he's being carried out of the bathroom.

"You'd fall flat on your ass," Levi retorts, and maybe he's got a point because even now Eren's left kind of light-headed for having to stand up on his own for only a few minutes at most. He's not entirely sure which way is up or down, nor does he particularly care. Right here and right now is the perfect time and place for a nap, he decides as his eyes fall closed.

Before he can doze off properly, he's startled to wakefulness by Levi dropping him down on the couch. "No sleeping yet," he reminds Eren and shakes him by the shoulder. "What do you want to eat?"  
  
Sinking deeper into the cushion, he watches Levi make his way to the fridge. "I don't know. Do we have anything?” They probably don’t, and instantly Eren tries to stagger up and go help Levi - maybe there’s something stashed away on the upper shelves, a can of soup or some pickles or something. However, he doesn’t get very far in his attempt, rising up only a little before his feet fail him and he slumps back down on the couch.   
  
“Stay,” Levi commands, giving him a stern look over his shoulder before moving to inspect the contents of the fridge, his tail swishing around in jerky little motions. “You’re going to eat something but then you can nap or do whatever.”   
  
_ Like harvest potatoes, _ he’s about to suggests, but at that precise moment he happens to sneeze loudly.    
  
“Bless you,” Levi intones without turning around, so he thankfully doesn’t notice the long strand of snot hanging from Eren’s nose that he’s quick to wipe off with the hem of his shirt.    


It seems they’re not completely out of food yet as Levi presents him with a sandwich and a small bowl of wild strawberries. He remembers how they’d wandered around the woods collecting them, aimlessly milling amongst the foliage. As Eren pops one into his mouth he’s instantly reminded of warm summer nights and fireflies fluttering over tall grass.   
  
While he eats slowly, Levi fusses around him, draping a warm blanket over his shoulders and rushing back and forth between him and the kitchen cupboards, bringing him some tissues, painkillers, a hot water bottle, anything and everything he can find that might help.   
  
“Socks.” He plops Eren’s favorite pair of woollen socks on his lap, the ones with red and white stripes. There’s a worried edge in his voice as he goes on, “I told you, you should dress warmer, it’s almost autumn.”   
  
“Sure thing, mom,” Eren drawls through a mouthful of bread and cheese and gets a light smack on his arm.    
  
“You need to keep warm and not stress yourself out,” Levi states firmly as he takes a seat on the edge of the couch, watching Eren’s every move with his ears giving a little flick after witnessing Eren sneeze into his sandwich. “You’re going to eat and then rest up.” It almost sounds like an order, and though Eren doesn’t dare to disagree, his gaze does fall to his sketchbook that’s sitting on the coffee table where he’d left it last night in order to continue today.   
  
“I was gonna do work,” he sniffles, accepting the tissue Levi hands to him.    
  
“As if,” Levi states as he follows Eren’s line of sight, eyes landing on his sketchbook. He reaches to move it aside, hesitating for a moment. “Do you mind if I look through this?”   
  
“Knock yourself out,” he mumbles in response before swallowing up the rest of his sandwich. It’s not like he can really taste anything, but he does at least feel a little less dizzy after getting something to eat. Curling up with his blanket, he watches Levi flip through his sketches idly, and even though working with a fever might be a bad idea, his fingers are itching to reach for his pencils.    
  
“I like these ones.” Levi’s paused over a couple of sloppy bird sketches that are nowhere near Eren’s best work.    
  
“Those are crap,” he points out with a yawn, slumping to the side with his head coming to rest on Levi’s shoulder. “You just like birds.”   
  
“Maybe,” Levi replies, and as he moves to stand up, Eren reaches out to him with desperate hands.   
  
“Don’t go,” he insists in a raspy voice, willing up the best pout he can manage.    
  
Levi gives a roll of his eyes. “I’m only going to light the fireplace. So clingy,” he complains, pressing a light kiss against Eren’s forehead. “Do you need more blankets or a glass of water or anything else?”   
  
“No, it’s fine. I could do with some cuddles, though.” The last part is spoken in such a quiet voice that he’s not even sure if Levi hears it, though he does ruffle Eren’s hair affectionately as he passes by.    
  
As soon as he’s gotten the fire going, he returns to Eren’s side, complaining only a little when Eren gives him a wet kiss on the cheek and latches onto him even tighter than before. He’s still as congested as ever, reaching for tissue after tissue, but the warm blanket wrapped around him and Levi’s presence next to him somehow make it all tolerable.   
  
He thinks he falls asleep at some point, but he’s not entirely sure. The next time he stirs, though, they’re in a slightly different position with him laying down and his head resting in Levi’s lap. He must have left Eren at some point because he’s now found a blanket of his own, immersed in reading a book. For a couple of moments, Eren settles for silently examining his features - he looks younger and somehow more unguarded, his ears leaning off to the sides in a relaxed manner as his eyes read over the lines of text. He’s chewing on his lip absentmindedly, a habit Eren’s always chided him on due to his sharp teeth.    
  
“Don’t.” He reaches his hand out, not even sure what he’s doing, but somehow he ends up awkwardly half-stroking and half-prodding at Levi’s cheek. “No biting.”   
  
“Hello to you, too,” Levi replies with an unimpressed look, catching Eren’s hand and twining their fingers together. “How are you feeling?”   
  
“Better. I think.” His limbs still feel so heavy as he scrambles up to slouch against Levi’s shoulder but at least now he can make out the room around them more clearly. “What time is it?”   
  
“Afternoon. Or maybe evening, who knows,” Levi states with a shrug as he sets his book down. He reaches for more tissues, handing them to Eren. “You were drooling.”   
  
He doesn’t sound that annoyed, so Eren merely blows his nose loudly in response. “You should probably stay away from me so you don’t get infected,” he suggests in a miserable voice, shoulders hunched as he burrows deeper into his blanket.    
  
“Thanks for the tip, but it’s a bit late for that now.” With that, Levi carefully winds an arm around his waist, snuggling in closer. “And besides, we don’t really catch any of your diseases.”    
  
He should’ve figured that, but still, he’s spewing snot and germs everywhere, and knowing how strict Levi is about hygiene, Eren figured he would’ve kept his distance. He’s glad to have been proven otherwise, though, leaning further into the comforting embrace. Levi’s tail comes to flick over his thigh, and, on a whim, Eren reaches out to grab it, making Levi jolt a little.   
  
“You’re really weird,” Levi points out as Eren runs his fingers over the silky black fur, all but nuzzling at it as he brings it up to his face.    
  
“You can tell me to stop if you want to.” After a short silence during which Levi merely watches him with guarded interest, he goes on, “It’s just really soft. It really doesn’t feel uncomfortable when I touch it?”   
  
“No, unless you decide to pull on it,” Levi states, the same response he’s given the last five times Eren’s asked about the same thing. Eyes narrowing just slightly, he flicks the tip of his tail over Eren’s nose. “Why are you so interested in my tail?”   
  
“I don’t know. I like it.” There’s no specific reason he can think of. He’s all too aware that for most humans fascinated by ears and tails it’s purely a sexual thing, but that’s one particular aspect he couldn’t care less about and has stated this fact out loud several times. Maybe it’s just natural curiosity, or maybe it’s because somehow Levi manages to be so incredibly expressive even with a neutral expression on his features. “It’s really soft and pretty.”   
  
“That’s still weird, but whatever,” Levi scoffs, his tail thumping at Eren’s cheek affectionately as he moves to tangle his legs with Eren’s.    
  
“Why? Don’t you like your tail?” he questions in a lazy voice, receiving a flat look from Levi.    
  
“That’s like me asking you if you like your left leg. It’s just a limb,” he intones. Though he tries to look as nonchalant as he can, Eren thinks he catches a glimpse of something melancholic in his eyes. “The damn thing’s brought me more trouble than anything, really.”   
  
“Well, I like it,” Eren states resolutely, giving Levi’s tail a little smooch. “I think it’s really cute and soft and nice, and so are you.” Even though he’s fairly sure he’s still covered in snot and drool, he kisses Levi anyway, his other hand coming up to stroke through his hair as he slots their lips together. It lasts only for a short while, but soon he’s trailing his lips along Levi’s jaw lightly in ticklish motions, leaning in even closer.   
  
Levi squirms around in his arms, feebly swatting at him. “You’re so, so gross,” he huffs in mock irritation, but there’s deep purr resonating from his chest and his lips are quirking up into the tiniest of smiles even though he tries to bury his face into Eren’s shoulder as he all but drapes himself over Eren. “And still running a pretty high fever so it’s no wonder you’re not making any sense.”    
  
He responds with a yawn as his eyes fall closed, a pleasant drowsiness settling over him. It’s so warm and comfortable that he can almost forget about his clogged sinuses for a moment, especially when Levi starts idly trailing abstract shapes over his back. The last thing Eren registers before drifting off is the feeling of Levi’s tail brushing against his cheek, soft and light as a feather, along with the calm, steadying sound of his purr.    


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pppffft i suddenly remembered this fic exists and i was like wwhooops. anyway here is some pointless fluff!!


	4. Chapter 4

After a week of rest and a lot of persuading, Levi finally agrees that he’s healthy enough. The fever’s been gone for a good few days, already, and all Eren’s left with is a slightly runny nose. After such a long time of laying around the house and doing nothing, of course the first thing on his mind is their harvest.

Before letting him take a single step outside, Levi forces him into a warm sweater along with a woollen scarf and a hat. “It’s gotten really cold, you need to be more careful,” he gripes while tugging at the drawstrings of Eren’s hood. 

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” he assures Levi with a chuckle and a tiny peck on his forehead. It’s more endearing than anything to have Levi worrying about him and insisting they hold hands in order to keep warm, so of course he agrees, lacing their fingers together tightly before they make their way out of the door and into the yard. 

It is rather chilly, he has to admit, especially whenever the wind happens to pick up and burrow its way under his clothes. Of course Levi’s quick to tug the zipper of his jacket all the way up to his neck, arranging his scarf a little in the process. He has the dumbest look on his face just then, or at least Levi tells him so with a stern glance and a light thwack on the side of his head. 

“Do you want to catch a cold again?” he asks Eren, cheeks tinted with a faint pink hue. “I'm just making sure you don’t freeze to death.”

“I know. Thank you.” With a beaming grin, Eren leans down to plant a kiss on his nose, his hand finding Levi’s again and grasping on tight. There’s an adorable little crinkle forming in between Levi’s brows that he also kisses away, tugging him along in the direction of their vegetable garden. 

During the numerous rainy days, Eren’s naturally watched their babies from the window, but even so, he’s a little surprised at how well they’ve grown. The potato stems are sprouting forth from the ground proudly, even if a few of them do droop a little, worn down by the cold weather. The radishes and carrots off to the side haven’t grown quite as tall, but what really matters is hiding under the surface. 

They set to work with Eren carefully turning over each stem and the fruit they bear with shovels, discovering that their very first harvest seems to be a success. The potatoes haven’t grown very large, but there are many of them, small, yellow, and soon free of excess soil as Levi picks them up and brushes the dirt away before tossing them to a nearby wooden crate. He makes fast work of turning over the potatoes and is soon done with the radishes and carrots, too, though Levi does chide him for being too careless and splitting a few potatoes in half with his shovel. He apologizes by running his fingers along the length of Levi’s tail lightly as he crouches down by his side.   
  
Though Levi does make a good point stating that they’d get the work done faster if they started picking at opposite ends of each row instead of having Eren glued to his side, it doesn’t sound very appealing to Eren. It’s not about getting things done as fast as possible, he tries to explain as he buries his hands into the ground but try as he might, he can’t quite fully articulate what exactly it  _ is _ about. Maybe it’s the earthy scent rising up with the wind or the way the soil crumbles in his palm as he scoops up some of it. This is all theirs, all of this land and its blessings, everything that grows here under clouded gray skies.

Instead of trying to decipher that into words, he merely flicks a loose blade of grass at Levi. It lands in his hair, and though Levi shakes his head lightly to fling it off, his expression is softer than usual somehow and Eren thinks he understands, even without any words. 

They end up with the crate halfway full of potatoes, the other half taken up by carrots and radishes. It’s pretty good for their first harvest ever, and Eren can barely contain the fond sense of elation whirring up inside him as he regards Levi crouched over by the crate, sniffing at a particularly squiggly carrot with his ears perked forward in interest. Hands still covered in dirt and soil lodged under his fingernails, Eren winds his arms around Levi’s neck and even manages to steal a kiss from him before he’s met with loud complaints and swatted away. Even so, Levi does linger close by when they carry the vegetables inside, shooing him off to go wash his hands as soon as they've set the crate down on the kitchen floor.

“You have dirt on your face. How is that even possible?” he states with furrowed brows, thumbing at the supposed speck of mud on Eren’s cheek.    
  
“It’s not dirt, it’s nature,” he argues insistently, turning his head to brush a light kiss against Levi’s fingertips before skipping off to the bathroom. He thinks he hears Levi sputter some vaguely offended retort under his breath before turning his attention to the vegetables, his right ear twitching and a light shade of pink creeping up his neck. 

Eren makes sure to thoroughly scrub his hands with soap under the hot running water, wiping off the tiny smudge of dirt on his cheek. His hair is sticking up in a few places, so he rakes a hand through it before tying it up in a loose bun at the back of his head. He’d been meaning to cut it since forever, but now as he regards himself in the mirror, he kind of likes it a bit longer. It’s not like it matters out here, anyway - he doesn’t even have to try and look professional and presentable, because who’s gonna disapprove? The little injured sparrow that keeps returning to their porch every now and then?

Speaking of which, they should really pick up some more seeds for the little guy and all his friends. Winter’s not that far away now, and the wooden floorboards feel colder than before under his bare feet as he shuffles out of the bathroom. For all his nagging, Levi had been right, as he always is - it’s no longer a good idea to dress as casually as Eren tends to do, and, in fact, before joining Levi in the kitchen, he goes to retrieve himself a pair of woollen socks. 

Levi’s already set aside about half of the vegetables to store in the fridge, the rest of them sitting in their crate waiting to be taken into the tiny cellar they’d only recently discovered hidden behind the house. He’s in the middle of rinsing them off when Eren wanders in, arms winding around him from behind with his chin coming to rest on his shoulder. Though Levi jolts a little at first, soon enough he’s leaning back into Eren’s embrace. 

“Once again, this is probably not the most convenient position for getting something done,” Levi points out, yet even so his tail is loosely coiling around Eren’s arm and he makes no effort to hide the tiny smile lingering on his face. “If you want to be useful you could get out a knife, it’s almost dinner time.” 

That’s what he eventually does, settling by the kitchen table and setting to work preparing the vegetables. They’re having what Eren’s mother had always called surprise stew, which consists of anything and everything thrown into a pot and brought to simmer. In this case it’s potatoes and carrots, along with some of the leftover beef from last night. He watches Levi as he flits around the kitchen, retrieving pots and pans from the cupboards, and feels such an intense surge of fondness flaring up in his chest that he nearly cuts his thumb while fumbling with the knife. Maybe it’s best to focus on the task at hand, he surmises, regrettably turning his attention from the gentle curve of Levi’s tail to the potatoes he’s supposed to be peeling. 

Of course there’s still time to steal a few kisses in between chopping and peeling, especially when Levi tends to hover over him a little too often to just be ‘supervising’ him as he claims. “I know how bad you are with cooking, I’m just making sure you don’t cut off your finger or something,” Levi argues with a light shade of pink rising up along his neck and the tips of his ears when Eren points this out. 

“I’m not that bad,” he states and reaches up to pet behind Levi’s ears - only after he’s wiped his hands of vegetable juice, of course. 

“Really, now?” Levi gives him a flat look but leans closer into his touch. “Remember that time you tried to make pizza?”

Eren does remember, and he also remembers the attempts at preparing a surprise breakfast for Levi’s birthday, baking gingerbread cookies from scratch, and the most memorable occasion of trying to boil a whole cabbage and burning it into inedible mush. Okay, so maybe he’s not  _ good _ in the kitchen, but he wouldn’t really call himself bad, either - he likes to think that what he lacks in skill he more than makes up for in enthusiasm. Even now he’s made quick work of the carrots and potatoes, and while they may not be all evenly sized and perfectly symmetrical, Levi seems pleased by his efficiency and effort nonetheless.

For someone who’s spent the most of his life living on the streets and occasionally squatting in abandoned houses, Levi’s surprisingly adept when it comes to cooking. Then again, it only makes sense that he’d learned how to look after himself and make his own food. Truthfully, when it comes to his past, Eren doesn’t ask and Levi doesn’t tell, but even so, he has a vague impression of what it must have been like - Levi’s kind have very limited options for getting by and none of them are too pleasant. Yet here they are, despite everything, together in their shared kitchen and playfully chucking potato peels at each other as they wait for the stew to cook, and Eren cannot stop smiling even though Levi tells him to wipe that love struck look off his face. The words are spoken in a light tone and when Levi stands up on his toes to kiss him, there’s an equally enchanted - if a little more reserved - smile lingering on his lips.

They set out some bread on the table along with the large pot of stew, its tempting scent making Eren’s mouth water. The potatoes have softened to such an extent that it’s easy to break them apart with a spoon, probably because near the end they’d been too busy tickle fighting instead of checking the pot often enough, but Eren doesn’t mind in the slightest. It tastes delicious as he swallows it down, warmth seeping into each and every cell of his body. Levi agrees with him and even compliments him on his good work, a tiny smirk rising to his lips as he notices the light flush that spreads across Eren’s cheeks. 

Dinner passes in a comfortable silence, and Levi even goes in for seconds without Eren having to explicitly urge him to do so. There’s still some stew left in the pot after they’ve finished eating, so they set it aside for some other day. This particular day is turning out to be a quiet, calm one - Eren settles on the couch to continue his work while Levi tidies up the kitchen a little before plopping down on the bench in front of the window. It’s one of his favorite spots in the house, both due to the radiator on the wall and the view of the yard. Especially now when the weather is growing more cloudy and chilly - a fact that Eren’s barely even noticed, but apparently Levi’s keen senses pick up even the smallest changes in temperature - he’ll stay perched in front of the window for hours on end, observing the birds and squirrels occasionally scurrying across their yard. 

Most of its appeal is lost on Eren who’d once tried sitting there and hadn’t seen a single animal for the whole afternoon. Apparently even the rustling of the bushes and the sway of the grass is enough to capture Levi’s interest, but it doesn’t do much for Eren. He immerses himself in his unfinished work instead, trailing the paint brush upwards in confident strokes as he colors in the sunflower petals he’d sketched out on the day before. They’re partially modeled after the ones blooming right by the front door, though he’s not sure if the ones he’s drawn are quite as vibrant as the real ones. 

In fact, the more he stares at the sunflowers painted on the paper, the tackier they start to look. Adding a few leaves along their stems doesn’t help much, but maybe if he paints some grass and a couple of butterflies it’ll look better. He should’ve picked some other kind of flowers to paint, daisies or bluebells or sweet peas, but the author had wanted something cheerful. There’s nothing more cheerful than sunflowers, even if these ones turned out kind of wonky and inconsistent.

Eren takes some deep calming breaths as he dips his brush in blue paint, imagining a small flock of butterflies fluttering their way onto the paper. They’re lithe and graceful in his mind’s eye, though once he actually paints them they resemble flying blueberries more than anything. After some more deep breaths, he decides to make them a little larger, just enough to show that they’re actual butterflies instead of berries. 

A couple of deft strokes later he pauses again, examining his creation. It’s a bit better now, yes, but not good enough. His teeth gritting together, Eren sets down this particular piece and decides that he’ll come back to it on some other day. He still has to illustrate the river scene, and who knows, maybe painting the calming flow of water will ease the slight headache that’s throbbing at his temples. 

It doesn’t. Instead he’s left frowning at the paper as he wonders how it’s possible for a peaceful nature scene to look so infuriating to his eyes. He’s only finished the stream itself and some of the rocks by the shore when he gives up, the mere prospect of having to add grass and wildflowers making him let out a long-suffering sigh. There’s still plenty of time, he reminds himself, resigning to the fact that he’s just not at his best today. 

However, Eren knows that if he sets down his brush now it’ll be weeks before he picks it up again because that’s simply how his brain works - if he ends it on a bad note he’ll avoid even thinking about art for as long as he can. So, instead of painting flowers and grass and all the other things he’s been paid for, he instead twirls the tip of his brush across the paper in small strokes, his eyes following the abstract blue shapes that it leaves in its wake. Even just idle doodling is better than nothing, and at least the nonsensical swirls don’t remind him of every single one of his failures as an artist. 

He gets an another paper after he’s doodled the first one full of swirls and stickfigures, his hand pausing to hover in midair when he hears a tiny yet distinctive noise that sounds like a mix between a miniature trumpet and a low chirp. A glance in the direction of said noise reveals that Levi’s apparently taking a break from his bird watching duties, now laying curled up on the bench with his arms folded under his head as he sleeps, his mouth caught open as an another soft ‘mrrp’ rises up from his throat.  _ Maybe he’s having a dream about birds _ , Eren thinks, a soft smile rising to his face as he picks up his brush again, and before he knows it he’s trailing it across the paper in a shape that bears an uncanny resemblance to the curve of Levi’s tail.

Drawing humans - or human-cat hybrids, for that matter - is definitely not Eren’s strongest point. That’s why he’s a little hesitant as he begins sketching Levi’s slim legs and the folds of the old sweater that’s a little too large for him. It looks like one of Eren’s sweaters, actually, which causes a tiny smile to tug at the corners of Eren’s mouth. With such a gorgeous model, this is the one doodle that he has to get right. 

Facial expressions are what Eren struggles with the most, and even though Levi’s face is turned towards his, Eren decides to improvise and paints him with his face hidden against the sleeves of his sweaters. He’s too worried about ruining the whole picture that’s looking surprisingly good so far. Even so, he studies Levi’s face closely, eyes trailing along his cheekbones and strong jawline. His dark eyelashes are fanning out over his pale skin, brows furrowing lightly as he lets out something resembling a half-growl. It seems like he’s having a particularly action-packed dream, his tail flicking irritably against the surface of the bench and one of his arms reaching out above his head in a twitchy motion. Eren’s witnessed him having more distressing dreams on numerous occasions, so it’s relief that those nightmares no longer plague him, or at least not during the day.

The Levi that he’s painted looks pretty similar to the real one in the end. Eren’s especially proud of how well he’d captured his soft ears and hair, so in a sudden fit of inspiration, he doodles a couple of headshots near the side where there’s plenty of blank space. He cheats a little and paints Levi with his eyes closed and sleeping in each one, which is much easier than trying to conjure up various expressions. Instead he focuses on the ears, painting these ones as slanted flat against his ears and those ones perking up in interest as if listening even as he sleeps. On one headshot he sketches a hand reaching to stroke through Levi’s hair, his ears relaxed and a little fluffed up from being petted. They’re only little doodles and though Eren knows he could probably do better, he somehow likes these ones better than everything he’s painted so far during all his years of being an artist.

He’s about to doodle even more Levis - perhaps ones chasing after birds or even climbing into trees - but it just so happens that Levi shifts position, his eyes slowly fluttering open. He stretches a little before sitting up with a yawn, apparently taking note of Eren’s insistent stare. “What?” he asks, voice still hoarse from sleep and his brows raised in a questioning manner.

Eren’s gaze lingers on the movement of his lips for a little too long, eventually remembering that he should probably respond. “Oh, I was wondering if you’d like some tea.” It’s not entirely true - after setting his work aside in frustration he’d been increasingly tempted to have a calming cup of tea with a generous heaping of honey in hopes of easing his artist’s block.

Levi gives a bleary nod, rubbing at his eyes. “Yeah, sure. Sounds good.” 

“Did you have a nice nap?” Eren calls out over his shoulder as he heads to the kitchen to put the kettle on, catching the swish of Levi’s tail as he moves to sit on the couch. “It looks pretty uncomfortable sleeping on a hard bench like that.”

All he gets in response is a long yawn and some shuffling as Levi wraps himself up in one of the blankets draped over the back of the couch. Maybe they should get the fire going, too, since the evenings are already starting to get a little chilly. It’s so cozy, just sitting together and drinking tea without a care in the world, Eren thinks to himself as he’s digging through the cupboard for mugs, and now that he’s gotten used to it he couldn’t even imagine living any differently.

By the time he comes back with two mugs of tea in hand, he finds Levi flipping through his sketches with an amused little smile lingering on his face. The sight of Levi smiling is something he’ll never tire of, even the tiniest quirk of his lips making Eren’s head spin in dizzying joy. Especially now when his hair’s still looking a little disheveled from his nap and his eyes hold such a softness in them as he glances through Eren’s work, especially now Eren’s reminded of how damn much he loves him. 

“Kinda creepy, I have to admit,” Levi states after Eren’s set their mugs down on the table and plopped down next to him, and it isn’t until Eren catches a glimpse of some fluffy ears on the paper that he realizes what sketches Levi’s holding in his hands.

He snatches them back as fast as he can, shoving them under his unfinished sunflowers and river bank scenes. “I swear, I was just doodling anything and everything I could see, I wasn’t trying to be weird or anything,” he blabbers on. “You were just there and your tail was in a really interesting shape.”

Levi rolls his eyes at his fumbling explanation. “I wasn’t done looking at them,” he complains, reaching out his hand at Eren. “Show me.”

Though hesitant at first, Eren finally yields and returns the sketches to Levi, his ears burning as he hides his behind his mug and takes a generous gulp of his tea. With each silent moment that passes he finds himself growing more and more anxious as Levi examines his doodles of him. They’re not even that polished or detailed, yet somehow it feels really important that Levi doesn’t at least hate them. It’s always like that whenever he shows his art to Levi, whether it be doodles or finished pieces, and upon receiving the occasional compliment about his shading or use of colors, Eren can literally feel his face beaming like the damn sun, no matter how hard he tries to keep his cool. 

“These are pretty good,” Levi states, and Eren can feel pleasant heat crawling up along his neck at those words. “I can only wish I was this cute, though.”

“Honestly, you’re even cuter,” he argues with a relieved smile as he idly strokes Levi’s tail, its tip having found its way to lay over his palm.

Instead of responding, Levi reaches for Eren’s supplies that are scattered all over the coffee table and picks up one of his drawing pencils. “Sit still, I’m gonna draw you,” he announces. “It’s only fair, though it probably won’t turn out as good as any of your art.” 

He sits there, completely frozen as Levi works, hunched over the paper and occasionally glancing back at him. Eren’s never been in the role of a model before, and he finds himself itching to change positions or maybe even hide behind the cushions. Levi’s gaze is so intense on him, taking in each and every detail of his face and probably noticing the faint blush that makes itself known when Levi’s eyes linger on him for a little longer than what’s probably necessary.

After at least a whole minute of Levi simply staring at his face with an almost amused expression, Eren asks, his voice only a little shaky, “Are you done yet?” 

Levi tilts his head at the question. “Oh, yeah. Here you go.” He all but throws the paper at Eren before grabbing his tea and settling in to lean against his shoulder, the tips of his ears tinged with pale redness. “It’s very lifelike, I know.”

In truth, the drawing looks more like a portrait of a gingerbread man who’s been taken out of the oven a little too early than him when it comes to anatomy, but it has a number of endearing details, such as the cute little tufts of hair on his head and the old rubber boots on his feet that he’s taken to wearing whenever he goes outside. Levi’s added handy arrows and explanations to the drawing too, labelling the space between his neck and shoulder as ‘napping spot’ and his hands as ‘petting appendages’. Eren finds himself smiling as he examines the picture, committing each little detail to memory.

“I’m going to keep this forever,” he announces, and Levi snorts after swallowing down his mouthful of tea. “You didn’t really need to watch me that closely for this.”

“I know, but I like watching you,” Levi replies, softly trailing a finger down along his jaw. “You’re very handsome and nice to look at.”

He says it so matter-of-factly that Eren doesn’t even know what to do with himself, fidgeting in place for a moment before giving out a nervous laugh. “See, I told you,” he states as he wraps his arm around Levi. “You’re even cuter than any of my drawings.”

Levi only gives a little content hum, and soon enough he’s purring into Eren’s shoulder, and honestly, if Eren was physically able to purr he’d probably be doing it by now, too. After carefully filing the paper away in between one of his sketchbooks to keep it safe, Eren settles down on the couch with Levi’s comfortable warmth nestled against him and the mug of tea cradled in his hands. Levi’s hair tickles at his neck when he shifts around a little and when he presses a light kiss at the base of his ear, the purring only grows deeper. It’s a little hoarse, still tinged with a sleepy edge, but it sounds like home. 


	5. Chapter 5

There are three chickens on leashes in front of the general store, and Eren stops to stare at them for a long while.

He’s never seen a chicken on a leash, let alone three of them, since in his opinion, chickens aren’t really the kind of animal you’d keep on a leash or take out for a nice stroll. But there they are, two large brown ones and a slightly smaller white one, occasionally pecking at the ground in search for food and hopping around with their short legs. One of them lets out a quiet cluck as Eren approaches, making him stop in his tracks.

“Don’t worry, dear, my girls are very kind,” the old woman seated on the bench next to them assures him. He recognizes her as one of the shopkeepers, and next to her there’s a sign that says ‘Discount Chickens, 1 $ each.’ The number looks like it’s been painted over several times. “Would you like to pet them?”

“No thanks, I’m fine,” he replies, because he swears the white one keeps looking at him like it wants to fight. “You’re selling them?”

The woman gives a sad little nod. “We simply have no space to keep them in over the winter anymore since we’re expanding the shop,” she explains, fiddling with the scarf that’s covering her head. “These are the last ones left, but it doesn’t seem like anyone wants them. We’ll be sending them off to the butchery tomorrow, so here’s your last chance if you want to buy one.”

Eren refuses as politely as he can and moves on, following Levi into the store. He’d gone ahead without even glancing at the chickens, though Eren thinks he’d seen the tail hidden down the leg of his loose pants give a little twitch upon seeing them.

The two of them pick out bread, butter and milk among other things, and even a small bag of homemade fudge. They’ve shopped at the general store many times before yet Eren’s still amazed that he can hold Levi’s hand without anyone even batting an eye at them, the two men who are very clearly more than friends.

In fact, the rosy-cheeked woman at the register with a full head of brilliant silver hair greets them cheerfully, making pleasant small talk as she rings them up. “Did you find everything alright today?” she chirps. “It’s the perfect time to enjoy all the locally produced vegetables.”

Levi mumbles something inaudible, but Eren gets right to the point. “Those chickens outside,” he starts off. The thought had formed in his head while they’d lingered by the egg and dairy shelf, and by the time they’d gotten to the register he’d made up his mind. “They’re for sale?”

“They sure are,” the woman replies, having now finished bagging their groceries. “Would you be interested in getting one?”

“Yes, I’ll take all three of them, please,” Eren states all in one breath.

“What?” Levi asks in a flat voice.

“Oh my!” The woman claps her hands together in excitement and soon she’s going off about different types of chicken feed. They’ll need a suitable building to live in over the winter, too, she says, and after Eren’s explained that they have a large abandoned shed that’s not being used for anything, she beams so damn widely that soon Eren finds himself smiling, too.

While she’s busy hoisting a few bags of chicken feed over her shoulder, remarkably strong for her age, Levi tugs at his sleeve and hisses into his ear, “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Why not? They’re only one dollar each,” Eren whispers, only growing more amused at the scandalized expression on Levi’s face. Once he’s made sure no-one’s looking their way, he even dares to plant a tiny kiss right at the tip of Levi’s nose. “It’ll be really fun.”

Levi’s completely quiet and bright red for the rest of the time as the two old women who’d introduced themselves as Rose and Maria load up the chickens and feed on the bed of their pickup truck. Rose, the one who’d been sitting outside with them, launches into a lengthy tirade about each chicken’s personality, along with their likes and dislikes. The white one who looks like it’s constantly wanting to pick a fight is Zeke, and the brown ones are called Bean and Sonny.

“You can tell them apart by the wings,” Rose explains as she shows off Bean’s somewhat crooked right wing. “Poor girl got hit by a car few years back, so now she’s a bit skittish of loud noises. But other than that they’re all very lovely and gentle.”

They’re all female despite of their names, Maria chimes in, each usually laying one egg a day. When it comes to their environment, chickens aren't very picky, as long as they have clean water and perches to sleep on. That can be arranged easily - the old shed sitting on their lot only has some old construction supplies and such stored in there from the previous owners, and setting up some perches and nest boxes will only take one afternoon at most.

The three chickens don’t look bothered in the least at being lifted on to the bed of the truck, clucking around for a while and soon settling down. One of them does let out a loud croak when Eren starts up the car, so he makes an effort to drive as carefully as he can as to not jostle them further. He’ll steal glances at them from the rear view mirror every now and then, muttering an apology under his breath whenever he happens to run over a bump in the uneven dirt road.

Perched on the seat next to him with his tail swaying back and forth, Levi finally speaks up. “I’m not too sure about this,” he says.

“Why not?” Eren asks, still beaming like it’s the best idea he’s ever had. It just might be, actually, even if Levi doesn’t seem to agree.

“Do you even know anything about chickens?” There’s an almost amused edge in Levi’s voice, and though he’s still chewing on his lip apprehensively, Eren catches a tiny glimpse of something wild and playful in the gray of his eyes.

Eren gives a shrug. “They’re chickens, caring for them can’t be that complicated.”

The truck comes to a stop in the middle of their yard, and now even more impatient than usual, Eren’s out of the door as soon as he’s pulled the keys out of the ignition. It takes him a moment to gather up his courage, but then he swoops in and grabs one of the chickens, setting it down on the ground slowly. It flaps its wings a little and soon trots off to explore while Eren deposits its other two friends onto the grass as well. Levi watches his every move, standing by the passenger door with groceries in hand. From the way his ears are perking up and his tail twitches at the sight of one of the chickens darting past him, Eren can tell that he’s holding back the urge to drop everything in favor of chasing after it.

Just as Eren had predicted, it turns out in the next coming weeks that chickens really aren’t that high maintenance. They amuse themselves by strutting around in the yard and foraging through the bushes in search for worms and insects. Apart from that, they’ll often spend their time near the old shed where Eren had set out food and water for them, soaking up the last few rays of the summer sun whenever they can.

The two of them have omelettes and scrambled eggs and exceptionally fluffy pancakes for breakfast nearly every single morning, along with fresh raspberries from the bushes growing at the corner of the house. Levi tends to be the first one rise, so the task of feeding the chickens and collecting the eggs naturally falls to him. At first the chickens tend to shy away from him, especially since he still sometimes hisses at them before he can catch himself, but in Eren’s opinion, Levi has much more in common with the chickens than one would initially think.

When he’d first met Levi, he, too, had looked like he’d wanted to fight Eren, skittish and suspicious of everything and everyone. That has mostly worn off over time, though he still likes to claim to be completely indifferent to what Eren’s up to while oh-so-conveniently trailing behind him from room to room. Such behavior seems to be especially common when Eren hasn’t paid enough attention to him, and usually a few pets and some light conversation is enough to soothe him.

The chickens tend to wander around aimlessly most of the time, but whenever either he or Levi or both of them are sitting on the yard, they’ll often come to greet them. On days when they’re feeling particularly friendly, the chickens don’t mind being petted, and sometimes will even come to sit on the porch with them. Zeke and Sonny tend to go off to dash around the yard and playfully peck at each other, while Bean is clearly calmer, most of the time just toying with the laces of Levi’s sneakers and stepping all over Eren’s bare toes.

One time when Levi gets up to make sure that the door of the shed won’t slam closed in the wind, Bean also jumps up from where she’d been crouched in the grass, preening her feathers a little before trotting after Levi, only a few feet behind him.

Eren very nearly chokes on his giggles at sight, while Levi just rolls his eyes and tells him to shut up. He doesn’t shoo Bean away, though, and Eren swears he even hears Levi chirping at her under his breath in what sounds more like friendly conversation instead of a predator staking out its next meal.

Mornings are easier now, leisurely stretching out into afternoons before Eren can even notice. There was a time, though it seems so far off now, when he’d wished to not wake, to fall into eternal dreamless sleep instead of facing another day. Now, here in the middle of nowhere, things are so different.

The rising sun casts a warm glow over their bedroom each morning, its rays gently rousing him from his sleep. Levi wakes hours before sunrise, and though Eren’s well aware of this, he’s still a little disappointed to find himself alone in the bed that suddenly feels all too large for him. It’s in Levi’s nature to skulk off in the wee hours of the morning and do whatever it is that he does. One time Eren had gone for a glass of water in the middle of the night and nearly screamed when he found Levi squeezed into top shelf of their pantry.

(“How did you even get up there?” he’d questioned. “And why?”

Levi had stared at him with his pupils blown wide and ears slanting back defensively. “I’m not sure,” he’d said, the words slow and dazed. Then they’d just stared at each other for a small eternity, both equally bewildered.

After making sure that he wasn’t stuck and could get himself out of there if he wanted, Eren had simply left him to his own devices. If there’s something he’s learned from living with Levi, it was that sometimes it was best to just suspend your disbelief and move along. There are things that he cannot understand, no matter how well Levi tries to explain them to him, because his world does not work the same way that Levi’s does.

So, he’d figured, if his cat boyfriend wants to sit in the pantry, then for goodness’ sake, let him, it’s not like he’s harming anyone. Aside from nearly giving Eren a heart attack, that is.)

Getting up is a lot easier when you have something to look forward to, such as a hearty breakfast. But then again, the bed does feel awfully soft and comfy as Eren stretches his arms out against the sheets, his mouth falling open in a yawn. What finally drives him out of bed is the distant sound of clucking that carries over from the yard, not to mention the scent of freshly brewed coffee that tickles at his nose and lures him into the kitchen.

He’s met with a pleasant breeze, the front door left wide open. There’s an empty mug on the table - his favorite one, Eren notes with a fond smile - that he fills with coffee, cradling it in his hands as he peers towards the doorway. From here he can only see Levi’s white-tipped tail flicking against the floor of the porch, but as he tiptoes closer as quietly he can, he notices both Levi and Bean perched on the steps.

It seems they’re immersed in a deep conversation - Levi mumbles something to her under his breath, a contemplative look on his face as he nods at her response that’s delivered mostly in chirps and clucks. He’s plucking raspberries from the bushes next to the porch as they talk, tossing most of them into the plastic container that’s already half-full and occasionally handing one to Bean. She perks up visibly as Levi reaches to pet her head, pecking at the hem of his sweatpants playfully. Actually, they might be Eren’s pants since they look a little too large on him. Same goes for the old and worn t-shirt that’s perpetually slipping off his shoulder, and though Eren has been wondering why his wardrobe has been looking emptier than usual, he simply makes a mental note to get more clothes some time in the future. Maybe in some brighter colors, since realistically speaking, Levi will end up borrowing those as well and he’d probably look really good in lively yellows or gentle oranges.

He’s not sure how long he’s stood there, just watching Levi talk to a chicken. The floorboards creak as he shifts his weight from one foot to another, and Levi whips his head around in what must be only a fraction of a second. There’s a slight frown on his face as he glares at Eren, hand frozen in midair where he’d just been petting Bean.

“Sorry, did I interrupt your conversation?” Eren asks with a grin as he crouches down.

Levi narrows his eyes at him. “Don’t look so smug,” he says, but still leans in to meet Eren’s touch as he cards his fingers through Levi’s hair. “You’re the one who bought three chickens just because they were cute.”

“So you admit that they really are cute,” Eren counters as he sweeps in to brush a light kiss against the coarse fur of Levi’s left ear.

“ _You’re_ cute,” Levi grumbles in a brilliant rebuttal and gives Eren a little shove, only to draw him right back in by the sleeve of his nightshirt. “It’s rude to eavesdrop, you know.”

Reaching past him, Eren snatches a raspberry from the box and pops it in his mouth. “Should I be jealous?” he asks, glancing from Levi to Bean who’s currently toying with a blade of grass. “Looks like she has you wrapped around your finger already. When’s the last time you pet me like that, huh?”

“Fine,” Levi says with a laugh, and, just for good measure, reaches to pet Eren’s head. “Happy now?”

“Very.” And he really is, so much that his heart feels way too big for his chest. This moment bathed in the golden light of the morning, the feel of Levi’s palm against the side of his face, the quiet whisper of the breeze and the rustling of the grass as Bean wobbles around by their feet, he wants to commit it all to memory as best as he can, to store it away like the priceless treasure that it is so that it can never be taken from him. This is his, all of it, day after day, every new sunrise reminding him of just how damn lucky he is.

Resting their heads together, Levi speaks up again. “I made coffee so you’re in charge of breakfast,” he informs Eren.

That’s fair enough, he supposes. “Pancakes?”

“Sure. And fried eggs and bacon, if we still have some left.” Levi pauses, appearing deep in thought. “Maybe French toast, too.”

Simple luxuries such as an ample breakfast aren’t something that Levi’s grown used to in his previous life, which gives Eren all the more reason to spoil him with such things. Pancakes it is, then, and eggs and bacon and French toast, along with anything and everything that his mind desires. He heads back into the kitchen to get started, and without even looking, knows that Levi’s trailing just a few steps behind him.

“How do you want your eggs?” Eren asks while looking through the fridge, but all he gets in response is a loud squawk.

Bean stares at him from the doorway as he turns around, fluffing up her feathers and hopping further into the kitchen. It’s silent as both him and Levi - the latter sat by the kitchen table and looking more amused than anything - stare at the chicken that’s happily tugging at the corner of the carpet. Even with his limited knowledge of poultry, Eren’s fairly sure that keeping a chicken in the kitchen isn’t recommended.

“She must have gotten lonely,” Levi muses, a slight smile lingering on his face as he wiggles his fingers at Bean. “We should eat out on the porch and keep her company.”

That’s what they end up doing, and Bean seems happy enough, following them back outside. Levi sneaks her tiny pieces of his pancake and it’s quite possibly the most adorable thing Eren’s ever seen. Soon enough she trots off to roll in the grass with Sonny and Zeke, chirping as she goes.

There’s something unusually soft in Levi expression as he watches them, settled in a lean against Eren’s shoulder.

“See, I knew it was a good idea to buy the chickens,” Eren points out as he bites into his toast.

Levi gives a fond shake of his head. “First the vegetable plot and now chickens. It’s like we’re becoming farmers or something.” Even so, he doesn’t disagree, and merely clasps on to Eren tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im alive!!! who wouldve known l m a o , and this au is alive as well wtf!!! tbh the only reason i got my ass in gear and finished this chapter was because s o m e o n e ((cough cough synstruck )) left a rly lovely comment out of nowhere and reminded me that this fic exists, so i kinda hastily threw this together and posted it without editing smh anyway bye


End file.
